Bagladesh to meet Bhutan, India for more power

Dhaka, [Bangladesh]: Electricity, or ‘power supply’ is a crucial development issue, and Bangladesh needs to buy some.

Now, Bhutan has the capacity to produce far more hydro-elecrtricity than it needs, and of course, if it sells this power, Bhutan can become more economically viable. Now india has lent Bhutan the money and technology to build some of these hydro-power projects, and India is the big brother who has a lot of say in such matters. Also, if Bangladesh wants Bhutan power, the power lines would have to go through India’s volatile north east.

Dhaka is going to host a ‘brainstorming’ dialogue among Bangladesh, India and Bhutan in April to move forward the sub-regional connectivity and hydro power issues with Bhutan and Nepal via India.

Bangladesh Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque on Tuesday said after this month’s tri-nation dialogue on Apr 16 or Apr 19, they would hold similar talks among Bangladesh, India and Nepal.

The dialogues were proposed during the second joint consultative meeting between Bangladesh and India in February in Dhaka.

The Secretary announced expected dates on Tuesday at a press briefing after the first consultations with his Bhutanese counterpart Yeshey Dorji who arrived in on Dhaka Monday on a three-day official visit.

The consultation was held under the aegis of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on Monday.

Secretary Haque said the meeting would be held at the technical level where both sides would explore ‘potentials and feasibility’ of hydro power sharing as well as connectivity between Bangladesh and Bhutan.

“The talks will be held back-to-back,” he said and added that the connectivity talks would be held either Apr 16 or 19 and the hydro power talks would be held just one day before.

He said the meeting would discuss on road link, air link, water ways, water management, hydro power and purchase of electricity between Bangladesh and Bhutan.